Your Questions. Answered.
The Nutrition Clinic is designed to help you get practical advice on managing your nutrition. Below are the answers to some common questions that Nadeen and her nutritionists are asked. As we get more questions submitted we’ll be adding to this list, so if you have a specific question make sure you ASK NADEEN, and we may even be able to get back to you personally!
Q: Is it true that weight loss is 80% of what you eat and 20% exercise?
A: That depends on your size and body type. I would state that “you are what you eat” so yes what you eat is going to play a large role in your weight loss but probably more like 70/30 is more accurate.
Q: What are some healthy food options for vegetarians?
A: Remember, if you want to be a “healthy” vegetarian you must have a passion for cooking because you are not going to find enough of a good balance relying on fast food and restaurants.
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You must still aim to have a protein in each meal, for example, tofu, beans, or nuts and seeds. Your beans must be combined with a whole grain to be complete. And you must try to get as many colours of vegetables as you can per day. Some quick ideas are: beans, spinach and brown rice in a burrito; vegetable coconut curry with cashews over quinoa; vegetable tomato sauce with tofu over brown rice or whole wheat noodles.
Q: I recently lost 30 lb due to stress. What is a smart way to gain weight without all of it settling in my middle?
A: Firstly and most important you need to address your stressors. Whether it’s counseling, getting a divorce, or changing your job, stress is a guaranteed way to put on fat around the middle.
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In your case you have lost at this point not gained so you want to deal with your stress, be sure you are exercising so that you gain muscle and not fat and go for a balanced diet of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Some good fats to add in would be flax oil, coconut milk, avocados, and nuts and seeds and nut butters (but no peanuts please). Like taking off weight, a pound per week is a good goal.
Q: Is it safe to diet during breastfeeding.
A: Essentially no, but it’s safe to eat a healthy balanced diet during pregnancy. If you are not getting enough calories your milk can easily dry up.
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Breast feeding itself is the best way to loose your post pregnancy excess. Just leave out the cakes, cookies, candies, ice cream and alcohol and you are sure to get back to where you want.
Q: What exercise can I do after having a baby and how soon after having a baby can I start?
A: Hopefully you did not stop exercising during pregnancy you just toned down your regime so you never got out of breath. Assuming you did not have a C-section you can start exercising right away.
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Although, I would give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to get a routine with sleep and feeding and just start with regular walks and yoga so that you do not exhaust yourself. I would resume the type of exercise you were doing previous to labour first because your body will be more familiar with that. Remember though, you must up your water intake to at least 3 litres during lactation and even further if you are getting a good sweat.
Q: What website can I go to for reliable information on the caloric content of foods?
A: I have yet to find a good website for that purpose. There are rather extensive programs out there for analyzing the whole diet but they are expensive and tedious. I suggest you stop counting calories and just start eating whole fresh foods.
